Giant Rice Straw Sculptures of Animals Take Over at the 2023 Wara Art Festival in Japan My Modern Met (David L)
The Sphere Just Held It’s First Live Show and the Visuals Inside Are Mind-Blowing My Modern Met (David L)
The Ostrich Defence: Trafficking Antiquities London Review of Books (London Review of Books)
Seismic Activity Near Naples Is Intensifying Newser (Dr. Kevin)
How open-source software could finally get the world’s microscopes speaking the same language Nature (Kevin W)
How a Big Pharma Company Stalled a Potentially Lifesaving Vaccine in Pursuit of Bigger Profits ProPublica (Kevin W)
#COVID-19
We Should Have Known So Much About Covid from the Start New York Times (David L). Lambert will be banging his head on his desk, as will be IM Doc about his shocking enthusiasm for getting Covid. His meticulous records show more Covid exposure (mRNA vax > 3 or 4, plus infections) is found in the population that gets bad cases of Covid. On top of that, from a recent e-mail:
Melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia, and renal cell interestingly is the exact list of cancer types in which immune surveillance plays a critical role. These are all the tumors who so far have had the most success with immunotherapy.
This has been known for a very long time. This is true of melanoma in particular.
The colorectal situation he describes [see here] is what is now being referred to as turbo cancer. Interestingly, I thought I was not seeing enough to make that jump. It has seemed there has been an overall slight increase in cancer rates but nothing to write about. Unlike the blood clots, PE, strokes and heart issues. That unfortunately is obviously on the rise. I have been seeing a bit more cancer than usual, but nothing dramatic. and nothing like this turbo met issue.
Now September has happened. TWICE this month, patients came in with vague abd pain and tenderness and eventually found to have massive Mets in their entire body everywhere. Very very small Mets by the thousands everywhere. Perspective….I have seen this before. Almost all untreated cancer patients will do this eventually. However, this is NOT how they present usually. Cancers are found on screening. Or incidentally or they cause pain, etc. They are found as solo lesions the vast majority of the time. They do not often “show up” this far advanced. It is a sign of massive and rapid failure of immune surveillance.
As an internist for 30 years, I have had this PRESENTATION precisely 6 times. The last of these being in 2015. 3 ovarian CA, 1 colorectal CA, 1 pancreas CA, 1 primary peritoneal CA. That is it.
And now 2 in September. Workups not complete so I do not know the source. And that is just it with these. You cannot know the source from anatomy and imaging – they are everywhere. Modern medicine can tell with tissue biopsy called brown staining. But it takes a while to get the path back. And it really does not matter much – this is assuredly terminal.
In these patients, one had 6 vaccines and Five Covid infections. The other had 6 vaccines and 4 Covid infections. 11 Covid detonations. And 10 Covid detonations.
This is my potential concern about this. The number of smacks being delivered to the immune system by Covid and/or vaccination. This has been my ongoing concern with what seems to be that the vaccines are causing or allowing people to be infected more often.
China?
The EU launched probes into Chinese EVs even without industry complaints:
“While no formal complaint was received from EU industry to launch proceedings, the EU’s anti-subsidy rules stipulate that EU industry be requested to cooperate in the ex officio investigation.”🙂 pic.twitter.com/HQI9jbB0UG
— Guan Xin 关馨 (@GuanXin411) October 5, 2023
At this point, China simply trolls the US by existing https://t.co/heAhON9HBm
— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) October 6, 2023
Climate/Environment
‘Sponge cities’ could be the answer to soaking up urban flooding NPR (David L)
Arizona to cancel leases allowing Saudi-owned farm access to state’s groundwater Associated Press (Kevin W). Water rights are a big deal in the West and are regularly traded.
New research finds that ancient carbon in rocks releases as much carbon dioxide as the world’s volcanoes PhysOrg (David L)
Monoculture carbon plantations threaten biodiversity and have little benefit for the climate REDD-Monitor (Micael T)
Lahaina Banyan Tree Has Sprouted New Leaves Since the Devastating Maui Wildfires My Modern Met (David L)
European Disunion
Shrinking foreign trade German exports are falling unexpectedly significantly Tagesschau (guurst)
Germany about to see its first big property crash in recent history. 🇩🇪🏠📉 https://t.co/FeuUCVL3Nw
— Philip Pilkington (@philippilk) October 5, 2023
Should we cancel national debt owned by the ECB ? CADTM (Micael T)
The impasse of dependent Europe and the key to its rebirth Defend Democracy (Micael T)
Old Blighty
House-building slump brings biggest UK construction fall since 2020 Reuters
International comparison shows England & Wales pandemic deaths relatively high Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (ma)
New Not-So-Cold War
House Speaker turmoil imperils future Ukraine funding The Hill. We called this before the Speaker vote. The nixing of Ukraine funding in the continuing resolution and McConnell acquiescing was more radical in and of itself that was initially acknowledged in the press. Now see:
The assistance had already faced a tough path to passage, as more Republicans have come out in opposition to additional aid. But as the race to replace McCarthy heats up, the road ahead has only become rockier.
US Funding for Ukraine Gov’t Reportedly to ‘Run Dry by November Sputnik. Remember, the $24 billion, then $6 billion, were extra authorizations for 2023 apparently because Project Ukraine burned through just about all its money. Both the House and Senate approved the 2024 Defense authorization (they have to be reconciled but I am told that should go pretty quickly). They cannot be opened up in any way without throwing more sand in the gears of getting the 2024 budget approved. As we also said, the Pentagon is sure to find some spare change under the sofa cushions, but not $24 billion, and not likely $6 billion.
EU’s Borrell Warns Europe Can’t Replace US Support For Ukraine Agence France-Presse
‘Our allies ask us to advance with a gun at our backs’ London Times. Discussed at some length here: Shoigu Visits HQ; Rus Seeks Odessa, Kharkov; UK/NATO Admit No Ammo; UK MSM Ukr Army Demoralised Alexander Mercouris
Patrick Lawrence: Depleted Ukrainium Scheerpost (Anthony L)
Grenade fragments found in bodies of Wagner crash victims, Putin says Washington Post (Kevin W)
Morawiecki Suspects That Zelensky Struck A Deal With Germany Behind Poland’s Back Andrew Korybko
Still germane:
This is David Ayzenberg , a Ukrainian Jew born in Kyiv in 1926 . He was one of the very few survivors of the Babyn Yar massacre, which we commemorate its 82th anniversary today . Just listen to his testimony ; He testifies they were led by Ukrainian nationalists and not by… pic.twitter.com/eceWPCysvy
— Holocaust In Ukraine (@ShoahUkraine) September 30, 2023
Civilizational code and nuclear doctrine: what Putin said at Valdai Club meeting TASS (guurst)
Leaked Documents Reveal Ukraine’s Zelensky and the US trying to Hire ISIS (DAESH) Terrorists in Iraq Devend (Micael T)
Why Turkey’s Expanding Military Footprint is Unstoppable History Legends
Syraqistan
Syria war: At least 100 dead in drone attack on cadet graduation ceremony BBC (Kevin W)
What’s behind the sudden US good will towards Iran? Defend Democracy (Micael T)
Spoils of War: General Electric’s role in Iraq’s energy crisis The Cradle (Micael T)
JP Morgan’s European boss: Middle East is in a ‘Golden Era’ International Affairs (Micael T)
Israel: Spitting on Christians in Jerusalem ‘not criminal’, says Ben Gvir Middle East Eye (Kevin W)
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
— chinahand (@chinahand) October 4, 2023
I’m the real Siri — I’ve been forced to change my name after Apple’s latest system update New York Post (BC)
Imperial Collapse Watch
Thirty Months Later… Andrei Martyanov. Chuck L: “Martyanov’s prescience.”
When 80 percent of US generals go to work for arms makers Responsible Statescraft
Estimate of U.S. Post-9/11 War Spending, in $ Billions FY2001-FY2022 Watson Institute Brown University (Paul R)
US cancer centers still see ‘widespread’ shortages of life-saving chemo drugs, survey finds CNN (Kevin W)
Trump
MILLEY ALWAYS TOLD TRUMP WHAT HE WANTED TO HEAR Seymour Hersh
GOP Clown Car
US House Republicans fear loss of their ‘rainmaker’ Kevin McCarthy Financial Times
Matt Gaetz Says He Wants To Negotiate. Democrats Should Take Him Up On It. The Intercept
Supremes
This Supreme Court’s ‘Originalism’ Doesn’t Have Much to Do With History Brennan Center for Justice
AI
Men Are Cheating With AI Instagram Bots, Because Men Rolling Stone (furzy)
Recession? Joe Costello (Randy K)
September Jobs Report May Be Last Good One Before Sharp Slowdown Bloomberg
The collapse in Treasury bonds now ranks among worst market crashes in history Business Insider (Paul R)
Good Morning Everyone! I can’t believe I am saying this but the slump in 10-year and 30-year bonds is approaching the epic drops we saw in stocks during the 2008 financial crisis and the dot-com bubble bust:
📉 10-year bonds are down 46% (vs. 49% for dot-com stocks)
📉 30-year… pic.twitter.com/2eLKqXp9Zk— Genevieve Roch-Decter, CFA (@GRDecter) October 5, 2023
The Bezzle
Twitter Is at Death’s Door, One Year After Elon Musk’s Takeover Rolling Stone (furzy)
Orange County Doctor of Osteopathy Indicted in Quarter Billion Dollar Fraud Targeting Pandemic Program for Uninsured Patients United States Attorney’s Office (BC)
Class Warfare
Value chatter and the devaluation of values NachDenkSeiten (Micael T)
The Game Theory of the Auto Strikes Wired
“Homeland economics” will make the world poorer Economist (David L). Conveniently ignores that most people value stability in their jobs and communities more than more stuff.
Antidote du jour:
And a bonus (Chuck L):
“Yesterday I witnessed something that took my breath away. I heard a sound at the window of the cottage. When I looked, a cedar waxwing had hit the window and fallen to the deck. It’s mate stood beside it. It was clear that the fallen bird was dead. I turned away for a moment and… pic.twitter.com/8JxBqwWfSt
— The Dalbo Dog (@Dalbodog) October 4, 2023
And a second bonus:
Cats are weird.. 😂 pic.twitter.com/20pNTafGa8
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) October 5, 2023
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
